Vaho

A functional Temazcal, or ceremonial sweat lodge built on a mountainside overlooking Volcán de Fuego, Acatenango and Volcán de Agua in Antigua, Guatemala. This large-scale work of art and architecture was conceptualized, designed and built over the course of a year, 2019.

This is my first major architectural work and first large-scale international piece. I worked side by side with a team of Guatemalans learning how to work with concrete and I taught them metalworking. The front window, or what is known as The Eye of Vaho is built from shards of blown glass cast into resin, the same technique I used in my piece Things Over Time. In order to create this Eye, I built a glassblowing studio outside of Antigua, Guatemala. Bringing back to life some old found equipment and making it into a furnace, casting my own glass crucible and used recycled glass to blow the shards.

This work is greatly inspired by my personal experiences while traveling around Guatemala, as well as the active landscape and architecture of the country. Vaho is a sanctuary built from intersecting concrete lines and curves where fire and water meet to create transformative experiences for people. Although this Temazcal is not designed traditionally its intention remains the same. It is a space for healing, meditation and ceremony.